Nico and Murder on the Train
by ladymarvel87
Summary: Nico discovers he loves the game Clue, so he drags his two favorite cousins along for a ride on the Murder Mystery Train. With these three involved something has to go wrong, Nico might just get to solve a real murder mystery, dun-dun-dun. Nico is very funny and childish in this fic because that is the way I like to think of him.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Nico, Percy, Thalia, or Annabeth. Nor do I own the board games mentioned.

**Nico and Murder on the Train**

**Chapter 1- The Best Game Ever**

Summer was coming to a close. The heroes had managed to defeat Kronos and save the world, which was totally awesome. Now there was a new, ominous, and downright dreadful prophecy looming on the horizon, so the only natural thing to do was play board games in the Poseidon cabin.

Tomorrow most of the heroes would be packing up and leaving Camp Half Blood to go home and do boring human things like go to school, clean their rooms, and go to bed at 8:00 sharp. Nico was actually glad he wasn't going to be forced to live that life.

Normally, Nico di Angelo became upset at this time of the year because he had no mortal parent like the rest of the half-bloods. He wasn't upset when it came to maintaining a boring life of 3 meals a day and a bedtime. Thankfully, when he went to the Underworld, Hades didn't make have a curfew.

Nico refused to go to the underworld this year though. No, he had no intention of a repeating the last time he went to visit his father. The entire time his forsaken step mother had made his life a living hell (which was ironic being that he was basically living in hell). So, Nico had volunteered his cousin Percy as his new roommate.

The conversation had played out like this:

"Hey Perce, are you leaving for home, as usual, at the end of summer," Nico asked.

Percy replied, "Yes."

"Awesome, I'm coming with you. Your mom won't mind right? She seems cool enough." Nico had answered and walked away with finality because there was only one outcome to this situation.

Percy was stumped after the conversation, but that wasn't really anything unusual really. Nico was very convincing though, so he was preparing to head home to the Jackson house. He really didn't know what that meant for his future, but he could tell you he wasn't going to be forced to eat cereal or be turned into a random flower.

The last night at camp started off very boring. Mr. D rambled on about useless information and pronounced everyone's names wrong. It was like any other day at camp, and he Nico, wasn't going to stand for that type of injustice. So, he decided to be rebellious and make sure this was a night to remember.

Okay, so Nico's idea of a rebellious night was getting Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace to sneak away from campfire, without Annabeth, and go play games in the Poseidon cabin. So, Percy and Thalia refused to come on his terms, so he was forced to shadow travel them both instead. Apparently, Thalia thought he was an idiot and Percy wasn't going anywhere without Annabeth, but Nico showed them, ha-ha.

So, currently the three cousins were sitting in the middle of the floor with a stack of board games Nico had smuggled from random houses. No, he didn't _steal_ the games; he was simply _borrowing _them. Borrowing the games forever, but really who was looking at the technical details?

There weren't really any board games when Nico was a child, not any good ones anyway. So, he had decided to force his cousins to liven up his current childhood, or adolescent years, whatever you call it. First game: Candyland, which Nico despised as soon as he opened the box. It had way to much colors and apparent happiness and he wasn't having any of that.

The second game: Monopoly, which was only fun the first time they played. Thalia forced them to play a second game because Percy won the first, and she refused to lose to a barnacle head. Monopoly was an endless game and Nico wanted to shoot himself to escape the monotonous torture. Pounding on the wall halted the game temporarily. Annabeth couldn't knock on the door because he had stationed two skeletal guards to ensure no one was able to walk in and interrupt his game night.

The monopoly game ended after the board mysteriously was sucked into the floor. Thalia accused Nico of doing this _horrible_ deed, but of course, he would never commit such a heinous act. Well the last board game sat to the side: Clue.

Unlike the other two board games, Nico loved Clue. He decided it was by far the best game ever, maybe better than Mythomagic. No not better, but it was close, for sure. Nico was playing as Professor Plum because professors were smart and he needed smarts to win.

Okay Nico could with certainty say that Ms. Scarlet was the killer and that she killed the mystery person with a rope (lame). Now, he just needed to know the room, it was either the kitchen or the lounge. Hmm, the kitchen, he was hungry. Dang, ADHD, he had to stay on topic and solve the murder.

Percy announced that he was guessing his next turn. Hades no! Nico was _not_ going to lose to Percy freaking Jackson. "I'm guessing!" Nico yelled.

Percy smirked, "Don't mess up cuz."

Well no pressure there. Which one was the right choice, this was by far the toughest decision he had ever made. So he came to the most logical conclusion: the kitchen. Ms. Scarlet was a woman, so obviously the kitchen was the murder room of choice.

"It is Ms. Scarlet, in the Kitchen, with a rope," Nico declared proudly.

Thalia opened the envelope and showed him and Percy the cards. "NOOO!" Nico shrieked, "Ms. Scarlet why have you forsaken the woman code and killed outside of the kitchen?"

Thalia and Percy looked shocked and confused. "What the heck does that mean, Nico?" Thalia fumed, "what is this 'woman code' you speak of?"

Okay so maybe sexism wasn't Nico's smartest move. However, he still declared Clue to be the best board game ever. So, it was obvious there should be a rematch. His cousins adamantly refused however, something about it being late and needing sleep, blah blah blah.

"You guys are so uncool," Nico stated matter-of-factly.

So Nico slumped off to the Hades cabin, population one. Nico wanted to play Clue again and redeem himself, but had no one to play with. The people in this camp didn't know how to have fun. So, Nico decided to be a drone to and go to sleep as well.

The clock showed 3:45 when Nico sprang awake. It had only been an hour since he had fallen asleep, but he had thought of the most diabolical plan. "Percy," he shook his cousin awake, "you, me, and Thalia need to go on a murder train and solve mysteries."

Apparently, waking a son of Poseidon from his beauty sleep wasn't a wise decision. Now Nico sat on his bed with a Kleenex up his nose to stop the blood. Maybe Thalia would be more loving at 4:00 in the morning. He stopped as soon as the opened the door, "Ha Thalia, loving, man I'm funny. She isn't a loving person at any time of day."

Nico shadow traveled to the nearest bank. He hit up the ATM for $100 and decided all of these good ideas called for a treat. Thank goodness Mcdonalds is open at this time of night, or morning, it really didn't matter. A double cheeseburger and coke later brought Nico sitting in front of Annabeth's laptop. He didn't have a laptop so Annabeth was just going to have to share.

"I have us three tickets to the New York Murder Mystery Train this Friday night!" Nico yelled across the dining pavilion to Thalia and Percy.

Author's Note: This is going to be a rather short story, probably only 3 chapters. I am writing on this while I finish the next chapters of 'I Turn to You' and "Something Isn't Right Here."

So please continue to read and review my stories and I will be updating soon!


	2. Chapter 2: Nico's Rules of Murder

Nico and the Murder on the Train

Disclaimer: I don't own Nico, Percy, or Thalia

**Chapter 2—Nico's Rules of Murder**

"When can we go on board?" Nico asked for about the billionth time in the past 15 minutes.

Percy and Thalia roll their eyes and give Nico the 'I really want to strangle you' look. Percy Jackson had never been a murder mystery train dinner show and he didn't really care to start now. However, Nico was so excited that he hadn't had the heart to tell Nico no.

"It's 6:55 Nico, only five minutes left until we can enter the train," Thalia replied.

Nico jumped up the air dramatically, "Yes, five minutes until we can solve a real life murder mystery. I'm so stinking excited right now!"

Thalia and Percy grin at their cousin, Nico had to grow up quickly, so when he had these carefree moments they just smiled and went along with it. "All aboard!" a man in a black tuxedo with a red tie called.

"Look, it's a butler," Nico said, "All good murders have a butler."

"I don't think he is a butler, Nico," Percy laughed.

"Of course he is a butler Percy. I know a butler when I see one, I'm not an idiot," Nico stated matter-of-factly.

"You're both idiots," Thalia laughs while stepping onto the train, "Nico where are we going to sit?"

Nico pushed past Thalia and ran toward the back of the train. The seats were red with two on both sides of a rectangular table. The back table was on the right with the kitchen behind it. "This table is perfect," Nico plopped down next to the window, "We are closest to the kitchen and all the interesting stuff will probably happen here."

"Nico, why do you think all murder happens in or around the kitchen?" Thalia asked.

Nico seemed to be calculating a good answer. He dramatically threw his hand up in the air, "You see Thalia, most stabbings are done by women, and stabbings are committed with knifes, and knifes are in kitchens."

Thalia stared at Nico as if he had grown an extra set of eyes, "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard Nico."

Nico just shrugs his shoulders and waves down a waiter. Twenty minutes later the three cousins were enjoying grilled chicken with asparagus, a side of hot butter rolls, and cokes in fancy wine glasses. The meal was included with the tickets, so a dinner for kinsg was in order. Nico had already decided he was going to get chocolate cake for dessert and he couldn't be more excited.

"Welcome aboard the Murder Mystery Train and dinner show," the 'butler' announced at 7:30 sharp, "The show will begin in 15 minutes, please enjoy your meal and refreshments."

"Did you guys hear that?" Nico asked bouncing in his seat, "It starting in 15 minutes!"

The butler suddenly returned to the center of the dining car, red spilled from the chest of his white collared shirt, "It appears that the show is beginning earlier than expected. Please do find my killer." Then the butler dramatically dropped to his knees and 'died.'

"Wow that was really lame," Percy observed.

"Shh! Percy this is no time for judgment. A crime had been committed here," Nico scolded.

Percy through his hands up in defense. The 5 suspects enter the room promptly. First a lady in a green dress entered with a man in a doctor's uniform. Then an older lady in a purple dress suit stepped up beside the first two suspects. The last two were brother and sister that wore gymnast outfits similar to those in the circus.

The five suspects each gave their stories and alibies. The brother and sister revealed that the butler had been their estranged uncle, the other 3 suspects claimed to have never saw him before entering the train. "I say it's the doctor," Nico whispered to Percy and Thalia.

"Why?" they ask in unison, which Nico found strange and a little bit creepy.

"It's would be too obvious for the killer to be one of the siblings. The butler was stabbed, so it makes sense someone with surgical training would be behind this," Nico said as if it should have been obvious.

"I thought only women stabbed people, Nico?" Thalia replied sarcastically.

Nico rolled his eyes and gave Thalia a pointed look, "That is most of the time. When doctors are suspects the 'it's always a woman' rule is negated.

Thalia laughs and took a bite out of the last roll. Each suspect then proceeded to go around to the tables and allow the guests at ask questions. The suspects would answer 'yes' or 'no' to each question. It was the guests' job to try and trip up the suspects into criminating themselves. Nico, Percy, and Thalia wrote down questions based on what they had heard from other guests. They hoped one of the suspects would change their story, proving guilt.

After the questioning was over, all the lights went out. A few high school girls sitting near the front of the train scream. "Is this a part of the game?" Percy asked.

"Probably, all murders have a 'all the lights go out scene,'" Nico replied.

The lights stayed off for around 5 minutes. After around a minute, the actors seemed to be getting a little nervous. "Yeah, I think something is wrong," Thalia whispered to her cousins.

The lights flicker on and everyone seemed relieved. "Sorry, just a technical difficulty," the conductor announced, "the show will resume in 5 minutes."

Chatter resumed and everyone started ordering dessert. A young boy at the table next to theirs got up and went to the restroom. The boy returned promptly and pulled on his mother's sleeve, "Mommy, there is a dead guy in the bathroom!"

"No, sweetie, you are just a little spooked from the game." The mother answered.

"No, mommy, there really is a dead guy in the bathroom. His head is bleeding on the floor," the little boy insisted.

Nico jumped up and ran to the restroom. Before Percy and Thalia could follow suit, Nico returned and announced, "Yep, there is a really a dead guy in the bathroom."

Screams echoed throughout the train. The butler came in and told everyone to remain calm. The train came to an abrupt halt. The conductor ran through to the restroom to see the carnage for himself. He met with the butler and actors in the center of the car.

After several moments of murmuring, the conductor announced, "Folk, it seems we have a real murder on our hands here. This is not a part of the show. Please no one enter the crime scene. The police have been notified, and will hopefully be here shortly. No one panic, and please use the buddy system for safety."

"How can we just sit here and wait for the police?" Nico asked, "This is great. Now I can solve a real murder."

Everyone on board stared at Nico in horror. Thalia shook her head and Percy groaned. "Wait," Nico corrected, "I don't mean it's great someone is dead, because that really sucks. I have just always wanted to be a detective."

Apparently that answer satisfied everyone. "Nico, you have not always wanted to be a detective," Percy nudged him.

"Practically always," Nico sassed, "I mean since we played Clue, it has become my new dream."

Thalia and Percy busted into laughter. "Nico, we just played Clue last night," Thalia said.

Nico, left his seat and went to the white board at the front of the car. The quickly scribbled down a 1, 2, and a 3. Nico wrote out a sentence next to each one. The top read: _The rules of murder._

The first suspect is always the butler.

The most obvious suspect is never the killer.

The killer is always someone you won't expect.

Nico stared at every person in the room, "Any one of you could be the killer. As of now, you are all suspects."

"How do we know you aren't the killer?" a little girl with a large pink bow asked him smartly.

Nico gasped, "Listen kid, I'm like Sherlock Holmes. I'm crazy, solve murders, but am not a killer."

The blank stars in the room made for a very uncomfortable silence. "Nico, I think you should sit down now," Percy shouted from the back.

Nico came and sat down and whispered, "The little girl is very suspicious."

"Nico, I'm pretty certain the little girl didn't kill anyone. You are just mad because she called you out," Thalia analyzed.

Nico scribble out the notes on the tablet they had received for the game. "Percy Jackson and Thalia Grace, are the two of you prepared to put your lives in danger, risk everything, and solve this murder?"

The two cousins sighed and replied, "Yes, Nico. We will help you solve the murder. Though we better hurry because the cops will be here soon."

A/N- okay here is chapter 2. I originally planned on this being 3 chapters, but this chapter went in an entirely different direction than I had originally planned. So, it will be 4 chapters.

Please review and leave constructive criticism. No flame, but I would love to hear how you think I could improve.

Thanks for reading, chapter 3 and 4 will be up soon because when I finish this I'm going to start on a One Tree Hill story. Also, if you are keeping up with my Loki stories, 'I Turn to You' was updated yesterday and 'something isn't right here will be updated within the next few days.


	3. And the Killer is

**Disclaimer: I don't own Nico, Percy, or Thalia**

**Nico and Murder on the Train**

**Chapter 3—And the Killer Is…**

Nico had no earthly idea who the killer was. He had shadow travelled to the restroom and examined the victim, but that had gotten him nowhere. The police had gotten deterred so that bought him a while longer to investigate. Nico had narrowed down his suspect pool to 3 people:

The sassy little girl from the front of the train

The doctor

The creepy old lady with the pointed nose (she looked like a witch).

The rest of the passengers were boring, so Nico ruled them out immediately. Thalia and Percy agreed the doctor had the skills to pull off the kill, but did he have a motive? Nico was going to find out.

"Did anyone know the victim?" Nico asked glancing around at all the faces in the crowd.

Everyone looked around, but no one admitted to knowing the victim. Finally, a young woman with blonde hair and hazel green eyes spoke up, "She entered the train right before me. She appeared to be alone though."

Nico made note of the lady's statement in his notepad, "Thank you that is helpful."

"Who put you in charge here?" the little girl, who Nico was really beginning to despise, piped up from the spot she was sitting at on the ground.

"I put me in charge here kid," Nico argued, "I am a professional!"

"No you're not," Percy said from beside him.

"Shut up Percy!" Nico shushed his cousin quickly.

"You are very annoying," the little girl said walking over and sitting next to Nico, "Can I help you solve the murder?"

"If I'm so annoying why would you want to work with me?" Nico asked, "Are you inserting yourself into my investigation to throw me off your trail?"

The little girl looked at Nico confused, "What does that mean?"

"Don't play innocent with me," Nico challenged, "What are you like 10, you should understand what that means. Haven't you ever read Nacy Drew?"

The little girl huffed, "Yes I have read _every_ Nancy Drew book thank you very much, and for your information I am 8."

"Oh," Nico said and quickly marked her name off his suspect list. An 8 year old wasn't going to kill someone on a train bathroom; a 10 year old was a totally different story.

"So can I help or not?" the girl questioned Nico.

"Of course," Thalia grinned from her seat across from them, "Nico would love to have your help."

Nico kicked Thalia under the table and shot her a glare. She stared back and simply said, "You shouldn't have made the women always kill in kitchens comment earlier."

Well excuse him. Apparently Thalia had forgotten how to take a joke. So, Nico rolled his and eyes and told the little girl sitting next to him, "Yes you can help, but I get all the credit when we find the killer."

"That isn't fair," she huffed at Nico.

"Guess what life isn't fair, so I'm doing you a favor by helping you learn this lesson early in life," Nico crossed his arms looking very proud of himself.

"Whatever," she sassed, "My name is Sasha by the way."

Percy, Thalia, and Nico all introduced themselves. After they got past the introductions, Nico decided she wasn't as aggravating as he had previously believed, but he still didn't like her. "So Sasha have you noticed anyone acting suspicious?" Nico asked.

"Other than you?" Sasha asked, "Not really. The doctor guy is weird I guess, but all adults are like that."

"Yeah I thought he was strange too," Nico replied, "Wait did we just agree on something?"

"Scary isn't it?" Sasha giggled.

Percy slid a piece into Nico's hand from under the table. Nico mouthed as Percy without speaking, "What are we in kindergarten?"

Percy rolled his eyes and gestured for Nico to open the note. Nico unfolded the paper and read _Sasha has a crush on you._

"Eww! That's gross Percy," Nico said scowling.

Percy and Thalia shook their heads and whispered something to each other. "It's rude to tell secrets," Sasha noted.

"Yeah what she said," Nico agreed.

Percy wiped his hand across his forhead while Thalia fanned herself with her napkin. It was August, and though New York wasn't known for its hot climate, the train was smoldering. "It's hotter than Hephaestus's workshop in here," Thalia sighed.

"Who is Hephaestus?" Sasha asked.

The three cousins glanced nervously at each other. "Umm," Percy said, "He is a good friend of ours."

Sasha didn't look convinced but didn't pursue the matter further. The conductor for the billionth time apologized for the delay and the heat. Nico had spent the past hour thinking of a way to approach the doctor. He hadn't thought of any good ones yet.

The doctor sat at the second table alone with his back to Nico. The man wore shades and a lab coat despite the fact he was inside a currently non-air conditioned train. Nico's ADHD kicked in and he jumped up and approached the doctor's table.

"It a little hot for that lab coat, isn't it?" Nico asked him reading the name tag, "Mr. Sonny."

The doctor glanced up at Nico at what he assumed was bored though he couldn't be sure because of the dark shades. "The heat doesn't bother me Nico."

"Oh that's weird I'm about to burn up in here," Nico rambled.

The doctor grinned and glanced at his iPhone. Something he had said was bothering Nico, but he couldn't place what it was. "How do you know his name?" Sasha asked walking to stand beside Nico.

"That's what it was," Nico announced excitedly, "I knew you said something weird. Man can't believe I didn't catch that right off."

Sasha rolled her eyes and stared at the doctor, "Well?"

"Nico you are the detective," Sonny stated, "I assume you can put all of the pieces together."

"Yeah, I will be back in a few minutes," Nico said and dragged Sasha back to their table.

When they took their seat Nico whipped out his trusty notebook and wrote down all of his clues:

Doctor's name is Sonny. (weird)

He does not get bothered by heat. (also weird)

The doctor knows my name (weirdest)

"The doctor must be someone we know," Thalia said finally.

"Yeah I figured that out like 10 minutes ago," Nico sassed.

Thalia replied, "You are just saying that."

"We don't know a lot of people outside of camp," Percy chimed in on the conversation.

"That's it!" Nico said jumping up and down gleefully, "Eureka!"

"Eureka?" Percy asked.

"Yeah I have always wanted to say that," Nico answered nonchalantly.

Nico ran back to the doctor's table with the others in close pursuit. He sat in the chair across from the doctor and said, "You claim your name is Sonny, and you don't get hot, both things remind me of the sun. plus, you knew my name though we had never spoken before."

The doctor smiled at Nico mischievously, "In my defense, I heard your friends say your name earlier."

"Don't change the subject," Nico shushed, "As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted; I believe all the facts add up to you being Apollo. Ha!"

"Apollo?" Sasha huffed, "The greek god? That is your best guess? He isn't even rea!"

"Umm, my cousins and I know differently, and trust me he is real," Nico added.

"Nico!" Thalia admonished, "You can't go saying that stuff out loud!"

"You are all crazy," Sasha answered, "I think I'm going to leave the rest of this mystery to you."

Sasha walked away rather quickly to where her mother was sitting reading a book casually. "Okay," Nico turned, "The human is gone you can tell us the truth now."

The doctor grinned and replied, "Okay you got me. I am in fact the great Apollo."

Thalia rolled her eyes and Percy groaned inwardly. Nico smiled triumphantly, "I knew it. I win!"

"Did you kill the person in the bathroom?" Percy asked nervously.

Apollo laughed, "Yeah that is a long story. I heard you three were going to be here and thought it was all too perfect. I needed him dead and Nico here wanted to play detective, so I figured this worked out well for everyone."

"Except for the dead guy," Percy sighed.

"Stop being such a downer Percy Jackson," Apollo scolded, "Anyway you are on the radar now and the little girl thinks you are all nuts, so you probably want to make a quick exit from the train."

With that friendly reminder, Apollo disappeared leaving the three cousins in shock. Sirens wailed in distance. "That's our cue," Thalia said.

Nico grabbed her and Percy's arm and shadow travelled them out of the murder mystery train. "Well that was fun," Nico said as they stood before the Jackson house.

"You have a twisted sense of what is fun," Percy sighed and shoved Nico playfully before pulling out his house key.

The three cousins walked in wondering if they would be murder suspects on the 6:00 news.

A/N—Okay so I hope you guys liked it. I will post an epilogue which will lead to an eventual sequel.

Please leave a review and check out my other stories.

Sorry for the late update I have been on vacation, but now I'm back!


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